Fire extinguisher



Patented Jan. 9, 1934 NETEQ STTES PATENT OFFICE Application January 2, 1932. Serial No. 584,439

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fire extinguishers of the hand actuated type and which is adapted to be charged with fire extinguishing chemical powder.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is equally effective in discharging either in an upward or downward direction in attacking a fire.

Another object is the provision of a nozzle which is adapted to cause the discharging powder to spray in fan-shaped formation to thereby cover a maximum area with a minimum amount of powder and to more quickly and effectively subdue the fire.

Another object of the invention is the provision and arrangement of an air valve and its related parts to sheet a. building up of pressure within the extinguisher during the operation of it and to thereby cause a constant flow of discharge under pressure instead of intermittent discharges as is usual in most fire extinguishers now common in the art. In this connection a novel means is provided for the escapement of excess pressure remaining in the extinguisher after use but which at the same time prevents the powder from escaping.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved fire extinguisher with parts in section and parts broken away for convenience in illustration.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an improved form of hand pump.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the pump piston.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan viewof a spring disc.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the lowermost end of the piston connecting rod.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the discharge nozzle.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of Figure 8.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing:

Reference numeral 1 indicates the main body of my device which is cylindrical in shape and closed at both of its ends by caps 2 and 3 which are soldered or otherwise secured to the cylinder.

The cap 3 is provided with any approved type or filler opening 4 and cap 5 to fit to permit refilling of the cylinder with chemical fire-extinguishing powder. An aperture 6 is also formed in the cap 3 to embrace the discharge nozzle.

A hand pump generally indicated at 6A is disposed longitudinally within the cylinder 1 and is secured by soldering or the like at its upper end by a cap 7 to the cylinder closure cap 2. The pump comprises a cylinder 8 having a'piston 9 slidably mounted therein and connected by a rod 10 to a handle 11. The lowermost end of the pump cylinder is provided with an air-valve 12 which consists of a housing 13, apertured at 13A,

internally bored longitudinally and formed with a valve seat 14. Slidably mounted within the valve housing is a valve stem 15 formed with a valve head 16 at one of its ends and which is adapted to co-act with the valve seat 14. The opposite end of the valve stem extends upwardly through the housing and is provided with a spring 1'7 which is interposed between the top of the housing and a pin 18 and washer 19 secured to the uppermost end of the valve stem. The spring normally keeps the valve in a closed position as shown in Figme 2.

The pump piston as shown in Figure 5 is formed with a usual skirt 20, cup 21, washer 22 and nut 23 secured to the connecting rod 13L Interposed between the cup: 21 and the washer 22 is a metal disc 24 formed with radiallyextending fingers 25.

These fingers bearing outwardly against the inner wall of the cup 21 tend to preserve the shape of the cup and keep its periphery in perfect fitting contact with the pump cylinder wall.

The lowermost end of the connecting rod 10 is formed with a ball check valve 26 seated in a by-pass 27 formed within the rod, as shown in Figure '7, and backed by a light spiral spring 28. This icy-pass permits air to pass through the piston on the intake stroke and seals the piston on its downward or power stroke. The open end of the by-pass is covered with a piece of wire mesh 29 which is carried by the nut '23.

Connecting with the valve housing 12 and extending upwardly then downwardly therefrom is a tube 30. The lowermost end of the tube terminates in a nozzle 31 which is flattened as shown in Figures 8 and 9 to effect the spraying of the powder discharge as heretofore described.

Funnel shaped members 32 and 33 are interposed in the tube between the nozzle end and wardly. The object of this arrangement is to provide means for directing the powder within the cylinder into the tube for operation either in an upwardly or downwardly direction. In this connection it will be noted that the downwardly extending portion of the tube 30, indicated at 30A, is of greater diameter than the tube 30 and that at the point of connection of the two tubes a gap 30B is formed therebetween by reason of their differences of diameter. his gap also forms an access opening to the tube for the powder in any position of the extinguisher during operation and from which point the powder proceeds to the nozzle.

Secured to the outside of the cylinder 1 is a combination bracket engaging means and handle 34. Secured to any suitable supporting structure, such as a wall or the like, is a bracket 35 formed with studs 36 adapted to engage with the handle 34 through elongated apertures 37 formed therein. The lower edges of these apertures, as shown in Figure l, are pressed inwardly so that in removing the extinguisher from the bracket 34, the studs will offer no interference, thereby permitting quick and convenient removal of the extinguisher from its support by a simple upward thrust.

The lower end of the bracket 35 is turned inwardly with respect to the extinguisher to a point beneath the nozzle 31. This inwardly turned portion of the bracket 35 carries a pad 38 formed of cork, rubber or the like, by means of a cup 39. This pad is so arranged that when the extinguisher is in place in its support the weight of the extinguisher rests entirely on the pad and not on the studs 36. By this arrangement any unused pressure remaining in the extinguisher is permitted to escape through the pad due to its porosity.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the extinguisher is ready for use, the main body or cylinder 1 is of course filled with fire extinguishing chemical powder. Normally there is no pressure within the cylinder when it is at rest on its supporting bracket. But upon actuating the pump handle 11 pressure is built up within the cylinder. This pressure of course forces the powder into the tubes 3 and 30A through the openings or funnel shaped members 32, 33 and the gap 3GB and thence to and through the nozzle 31.

It is obvious that the pressure within the cylinder together with the powder which is agitated and carried in suspension by it will seek escapement into the tubes by the path of least resistance which would be through any one of the openings 32, 33 or 303 depending upon which was above the level of the powder. Then too the tubes will be fed additionally by the powder entering by gravity through the opening or openings imbedded in the powder. Thus it is that the extin guisher can be operated when held in any position.

The nozzle, as previously stated, is restricted and due to the restriction a reserve of pressure is built up within the cylinder 1 due to the pumping capacity of the pump being greater than the rate of escapement of the powder and pressure through the nozzle.

During each downward or power stroke of the pump piston, the valve 16 is forced from its seat by the pressure from the pump en route to the interior of the cylinder. At the end of each power stroke, the valve 16 closes instantly by back pressure and also by the influence of the spring 1'7 and thus I am able to build up pressure within the cylinder with each stroke of the piston.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. A device of the class described comprising a hollow cylinder disposed at both of its ends, an air pump disposed entirely within the cylinder and having a tubular connection with the exterior of said cylinder, means spaced apart through the length of the tube for directing the contents of said cylinder to the interior of said tube under pressure from the pump, said means including open funnel shaped enlargements within the tube arranged with their openings opposed to each other, and a check valve within the tube to permit suction through said openings during a suction stroke of the pump.

A device of the class described comprising a hollow cylinder disposed at both of its ends, an air pump disposed within the cylinder, a tube extending from one end of the pump to the exterior of the cylinder-and means within the tube for receiving the contents of the cylinder when positioned vertically for directing its discharge either in an upward or downward direction.

3. A device of the class described comprising a hollow cylinder adapted to be filled with a fire extinguishing chemical powder, a pump disposed within said cylinder and operable from the exterior thereof, a tubular connection between one end of said pump and the exterior of said cylinder, said tubular connection terminating in a restricted nozzle and having openings formed within its length between the nozzle and the pump for receiving the powder under pressure from the pump, and means interposed between the pump and the inner end of the. tube for permitting pressure from the pump to enter the tube and subsequently the cylinder but preventing its return to the pump to thereby build up within the tube a steadily increasing pressure with each stroke of the pump.

4. A fire extinguisher of the class described comprising a cylinder adapted to be filled with fireextinguishing substance, a pressure generating means disposed within said cylinder and adapted to discharge said fire extinguishing sub-. stance from said cylinder under pressure through a nozzle in one end of said cylinder, a support for said fire extinguisher with a pad of resilient, porous material upon which the entire weight of the extinguisher is adapted to rest in such position that the nozzle thereof is slightly embedded in said pad.

LEE GEORGE SUGGS.

eERimeA'iE 0F eesizecriori.

Patent No. 1342, 3%. January 9, i934.

LEE GEORGE SUGGS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification iii the aizeve numbered patent requiring (:GTTCCHOH as follows: Page 2, lines 93 and 1%, claims 1 and 2, respectively, for "disposed" read closed; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these correetions therein tiiai the same may eeniorm to the recerd of the case in the Patent Qiiiee.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of February, A. D. 1934.

i". M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner 0f Patents. 

